The global response to climate change and human mobility is at a crossroads. The direct impacts of climate change, combined with slow-onset secondary effects such as declining agricultural productivity, could lead to the internal migration of up to 216 million people by 2050, depending on the emissions scenario. According to the World Disasters Report 2020, an estimated 200 million people per year could require humanitarian assistance by 2050 due to the combined effects of climate-related disasters and the socioeconomic impacts of climate change. 

In order to break this vicious cycle of instability, vulnerability and displacement, efforts should focus on looking at how crisis risk is generated and how disaster risk reduction, humanitarian assistance and sustainable development efforts can adapt to changing and complex realities. During the International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) session in New York in March 2023, it was highlighted that more action is urgently needed to tackle climate change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The second session of the 2023 International Dialogue on Migration, which takes place on 5-6 October in Geneva, will build on the outcomes of the Kampala Declaration and the SDG Summit, and provide input to discussions at the Twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) and other key upcoming events, in particular the United Nations Summit of the Future in 2024 and the regional reviews of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. It will promote cross-thematic and cross-regional linkages, highlighting challenges, opportunities and good practices to help place climate mobility high on global and regional agendas. 

Many opportunities exist to broaden the range of solutions available to States, communities and other stakeholders to address human mobility in the context of climate change, from scaling up existing measures that have proven effective, learning from one another and identifying the different contexts in which solutions have been successful, to promoting cooperation to develop further solutions. 

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS SESSION?

To bring together a wide range of stakeholders, including States, United Nations system organizations, civil society, the private sector, youth, and migrants and their communities to foster multi-level understanding, cooperation and trust among participants, create opportunities for collaboration on common climate change-related challenges and identify effective solutions to climate mobility.

WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THE SESSION?
  • The formulation of key messages for upcoming major events and high-level United Nations processes, such as COP28, to accelerate the development and implementation of solutions to climate mobility.
  • To learn which solutions work in contexts, and to foster collaboration to scale up future solutions.

 

IDM PROGRAMME

Welcome Session

5 October, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (CET)

  • Amy Pope
    Director General, International Organization for Migration (Keynote Speaker)

     

    Ms. Amy E. Pope of the United States of America began her five-year term as the eleventh Director General (DG) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on 1 October 2023. She is the first woman Director General of IOM.  

    DG Pope is a dynamic leader with demonstrated experience in addressing complex migration issues and bringing transformative change across organizations. Prior to her historic election, DG Pope was IOM’s Deputy Director General (DDG) for Management and Reform. During her tenure as DDG, Ms. Pope implemented a series of budgetary, management and administrative reforms to optimize IOM’s field delivery and risk management, enhance internal justice outcomes and operational results, and strengthen coordination with the United Nations system. 

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    Amy Pope

    Director General, International Organization for Migration (Keynote Speaker)
  • Michal Rutkowski
    Regional Director for Human Development for Europe and Central Asia, The World Bank (Keynote Speaker)

     

    Michal Rutkowski is the Regional Director for Human Development for Europe and Central Asia (ECA). Previously, he was the Global Director for Social Protection and Jobs from 2016-2023, where he oversaw the World Bank’s work to protect the poorest and vulnerable from crises and shocks, while supporting private sector-led growth.

    Mr. Rutkowski’s published work covers issues on labour markets and social security. He was a core team member of the World Development Report “Workers in an Integrated World” – the World Bank’s annual flagship research publication – in 1995.

    Mr. Rutkowski holds an MSc and PhD from Warsaw School of Economics and finished his post-graduate studies at the London School of Economics. He also graduated from the Executive Development program at the Harvard Business School in 1999, and from the Leadership for Collective Intelligence program run by Dialogos in 2010.

    Michal Rutkowski

    Regional Director for Human Development for Europe and Central Asia, The World Bank (Keynote Speaker)
  • Khouloud Ben Mansour
    African Youth Ambassador for Peace, African Union (Keynote Speaker)

     

    Fueled by her dedication to Gender Equality and Diplomatic Relations, Khouloud Ben Mansour is an activist dedicated to advocating for women and children’s rights in Tunisia. She holds a BA in Chemical Sciences and was the recipient of a US State Department scholarship to study Leadership & Conflict Resolution at Cal State. Khouloud was recognized for her activism through multiple awards now works with several INGOs. She is a UNDP SDG Camp Alumna, and a UN Women Peace Builder/Mediator. Khouloud is recently appointed as the African Youth Ambassador for Peace with the African Union for North Africa.

    Khouloud Ben Mansour

    African Youth Ambassador for Peace, African Union (Keynote Speaker)
  • Nelufar Hedayat
    Journalist and Television Host (Master of Ceremonies)

     

    Nelufar Hedayat is an award-winning journalist and presenter whose work focuses on environmental issues and cultural upheaval. Born in Afghanistan, she went to the United Kingdom as a refugee, an experience that has informed her reporting and instilled a passion for telling the stories of fringe and marginalized communities. Working across broadcasters in written and TV media, she has created self-authored series and documentaries and moderated talk shows and other events for news outlets such as National Geographic, Doha Debates, Vice, The Guardian and the BBC.

    Nelufar Hedayat

    Journalist and Television Host (Master of Ceremonies)

SIDE EVENT (5 October, 1:10 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. CET) | Data Frontiers: Understanding Human Mobility in the Context of Disasters, Climate Change and Environmental Degradation

This side event, organized by the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), will mark the official launch of the “CLIMB Database: Human Mobility in the Context of Disasters, Climate Change and Environmental Degradation Database”, which is hosted on the UN Network on Migration’s Hub. It will convene policymakers, experts, civil society and Member States to highlight key findings from the evidence collected in the database, to demonstrate the innovative features of the database intended for a policy and research audience, and to reflect on the data, including its implications and potential to inform decision-making and priority action for the future.

The side event seeks to:

  • Highlight progress and gaps in current policy implementation, related to the GCM and beyond, in the area of human mobility in the context of disasters, climate change and environmental degradation;
  • Provide a live walk-through of the database's advanced features, visual analytics, and user-friendly interface that cater to both policymakers and researchers;
  • Discuss the evidence within the database, exploring its implications and its potential to inform future priority actions in policymaking and research.

 

PERFORMERS

The Second Session of the 2023 IDM celebrates cultural diversity as well with inspiring performances by Senegalese singer-songwriter and producer Julia Sarr, and multicultural band Ayom.

 

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Julia Sarr, Senegalese-born singer-songwriter and producer

Julia Sarr is a Mezzo-soprano born in Dakar (Senegal). As one of the most sought-after backing vocalists, she has worked with prominent artists over the years, including Miriam Makeba, Youssou N'Dour, Salif Keita, Marcus Miller. She pursues a solo career with songs rooted in her Wolof culture and West African polyrhythm.

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Ayom, a multicultural band with members from different countries

Ayom is a multicultural band with members from Brazil, Angola, Italy and Greece. Ayom employs a mix of Brazilian, tropical, Afro-Latino and Afro-Lusophone sounds played with an irresistible swing. Their name, Ayom, refers to the “Lord of Music”, a figure from Afro-Brazilian mythology who lives in the tambour and taught humans to play music and sing. Blending centuries-old traditions with the black and rhythmical language of Lusophone cultures, Ayom provides a hot-stepping voyage across the African diaspora.